In The Beginning: Hello Fear

She stood confused and in disarray
He brushed her up
She still seemed to remain that way
He carried her still

Nothing would move until…
Now when the sun and moon she was told He created
Not that she didn’t know but…
Now she realized she’s engraved in His palms

It’s okay babe I gat u He says
It’s not okay to remain in disbelief
It’s okay to cry some
It’s not okay to give up

Tis the beginning of new things
The ushering of great things
The birth of stories
The announcement of the echoes…

This poem, an ode to beginnings, though a personal testimony, is not a tale of which I hold monopoly of; it is one that resonates with many people.

Sometimes, you have that feeling of ‘fresh from the oven’, as free and as boundless as the autumn breeze, and you are excited to take the world by storm. You almost feel like there is a clean sheet in front of you and all of the past dissolves into a distant blur. But you see that foe called Fear? The 4-letter word fitting two vowels between consonants, subtle, stealthy, unassuming, yet deadly, wielding enough influence to take down a man or an army, whichever gives it entry? It makes Beginnings feel like cliffhangers; a blind dive off a cliff straight into the depths of Sheol. It wreaks so much havoc, tearing into and shredding whatever blocks of confidence and faith and hope stored up, eviscerating the very desire to attempt fresh starts or enjoying the beauty they should. It leaves university graduate feeling like his first day in pre-school!

Timothy reminds us in the 7^th verse of the 1^st chapter of his second book in the Bible- “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control”. This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible- a reassurance and reaffirmation of heritage, content, potential and capability. It comforts, and I share it with you too. Please receive it with open arms, and you will see that for all Fear can conjure, it only really exists in your head, and is subject to the authority of the Word you fill your heart with.

You are welcome to make this journey with me; tearing down imaginations and strongholds of the mind, ridiculing things like Fear. Not by anything else, but by the Word of God. What’s that phobia? What terrifies you? What make you feel small? It’ll bow to the Word for sure! This is one weapon. Which other weapon(s) have you successfully used to combat fear? Did it/they work?